iPad: A Nifty TV Sample Center

I finally have a partial cable hookup
in our kitchen these days, thanks to Wi-Fi
and iPad apps from Time Warner Cable and
ESPN. I can watch “Pat’s Papers” on NY1 orSportsCenter (minus World Series video withheld
by baseball’s barons, grr) while making
breakfast for my daughter.
I

I’ve read about glitches with the TWCable TV
app, but haven’t experienced them: Maybe the
service just works better between 6:30 and 8 a.m.
than it does at primetime. Or maybe the glitches
are gone. Anyway, it works well.

Now, I want more content — though maybe
not the Cablevision-style full lineup. There’s an
advantage to limited choice.

My content wish list of course includes HBO
Go, as I pay for the premium service and know that the remote
app has a lot more content than HBO On Demand has. I
understand there are deal issues the cable company and programmer
are trying to sort through.

Get them done, please.

Apparently, “TV Everywhere” didn’t come up on Time
Warner Cable’s earnings call this week, but the company said
in a release that updates to the app in the fourth quarter, in my
New York City market, will include local broadcast
channels and other new programming, including
video on demand.

Nice.

Now here’s the benefit I’ve found from the
gradual approach to adding content. It’s inspired
me to sample channels and shows I usually don’t
stop on at the all-you-can-eat TV buffet.

I count about 100 channels on the app’s Web
page, but somehow it seems like less. Maybe
that’s because I haven’t scrolled all the way down
the alphabet. For example, my only visits to DIY
and Fox Business Network have come on the iPad
app.

Yard Crashers on DIY, that’s a good show, especially
when they do kitchen makeovers at the
same time.

Don Imus, is that where you have been hanging out, FBN?
You don’t look that bad, given your health issues.

I hope other networks are finding new viewers from being
pioneers on TV Everywhere apps, like the initial 38 channels
on DirecTV’s offering.

Keep the content coming, Time Warner Cable. I’ll enjoy the
limited selection while it lasts.